Statues of colonial figures throughout Sydney will be reviewed to address offensive descriptions of their deeds.
Wiradjuri woman Yvonne Weldon, the first Aboriginal councillor in the City of Sydney's 180-year history, led a push to revisit inscriptions on 25 publicly funded statues.
Ms Weldon said her proposal was aimed at truth-telling in the public domain.
"This is a moderate and measured proposal," she told AAP on Tuesday.
"It does not seek the removal of statues, as some have called for."
Councillor Weldon has pushed for a review into the colonial statues across Sydney. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi/AAP Image
Ms Weldon said a statue of NSW Governor Lachlan Macquarie, unveiled in Hyde Park 10 years ago, described him as a "perfect gentlemen" despite inflicting devastation on Indigenous people.
Archival records show Governor Macquarie's military actions included the slaughter of Aboriginal people including women and children, with little regard for human life or the rules of combat.
"Walking around parts of the city, you'd be forgiven for thinking that no one was here before the British arrived," Ms Weldon said.
A motion endorsed by council on Monday night resolved to review the statues.
"By reassessing established narratives, mistruths and one-dimensional accounts of past events, all Australians gain a richer understanding of our shared history and story," it said.
Historic and cultural institutions, Indigenous public art advisory panels and the local Aboriginal Land Council will contribute to the review.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who seconded Ms Weldon's motion, said Sydney's history included events and attitudes that required redress, particularly in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
"The impact of colonisation is particularly poignant here in Sydney, the first site of invasion," she said.
Ms Moore said following the failed Voice referendum, the council was strengthening initiatives such as its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory panel.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore seconded the statue motion at a council meeting on Monday night. The panel has advised the council on Indigenous matters since 2008 in a model similar to the federally proposed voice to parliament.
More than 70 per cent of City of Sydney residents voted "yes" in the referendum.
Ms Weldon also moved a successful motion at the same meeting to promote First Nations voices by enabling the advisory panel to set its own priorities and make further submissions to council.
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